Final answer:
For silver plating using silver nitrate electrolyte, the iron spoon should be connected to the negative terminal of the battery to act as the cathode, where silver ions are reduced and deposit onto the spoon.
Step-by-step explanation:
To deposit silver on an iron spoon using silver nitrate as an electrolyte in the process of electroplating, the spoon should be connected to the negative terminal of the battery, which serves as the cathode.
During electroplating, the cathode is the site where reduction occurs, meaning that silver ions (Ag+) in the solution are reduced to silver metal (Ag) and deposit onto the spoon.
The anode, often made of silver, is connected to the positive terminal and oxidizes to supply additional silver ions into the solution, completing the circuit. In the process of silver plating an iron spoon using silver nitrate as an electrolyte, the spoon should be connected to the cathode terminal of the battery.
The cathode is the electrode where reduction occurs, and in this case, silver ions from the silver nitrate solution will be reduced at the spoon's surface, depositing a layer of silver. The anode would typically be a piece of silver, which supplies silver ions to the solution through oxidation.